Running While Pregnant

Pregnancy can take a lot from a woman’s routine. There are habits that need to be dropped, diets that need to be adapted, and schedules that need to be adjusted according to the pressing needs of those critical nine months.

Of course, these considerations are not made for the benefit of one as both mother and child share each other’s wellbeing. There are some activities that, while very healthful for the mother, can be detrimental to the child. This is particularly true for vigorous exercise.

For many of today’s busy professional women, running seems to have become the exercise-du-jour: it’s relatively inexpensive, the health benefits are innumerable and a few laps around a local park can fit snuggly even on hectic schedules. This is why it is a right loss for pregnant women to drop running altogether during those three trimesters.

As it turns out however, this might not be necessary. Some professional runners choose to continue their training throughout their terms. Of course, this may be difficult for most casual runners, especially without any guidance beyond the common sense reminder "do not overexert yourself".

While it is perfectly fine for mothers-to-be to enagage in physically exercise so long as fatigue does not set in, it is often hard to catch before it actually does set in. Here are some reminders for women who still pursue light running while going through this delicate stage.

First trimester

The first sign a female would notice that she would notice, besides the non-existent menstrual period, is the decline in performance since the body is focusing on the fetus. Take a hint by reducing mileage and cutting on anaerobic workouts. Extra support, like an underwire bra worn over a softer nursing or athletic support bra, would be necessary.

Second trimester

The runner should adjust her pace with where she is comfortable with. A woman could still race at this time, but consider that she would not be setting personal bests if she does so. Stretching should be done with extra caution and extra-hot days are to be avoided.

All pregnant women need extra carbs and this is doubly true for the pregnant runner. A well-balanced diet and some mid-afternoon nap would be beneficial both for the expectant mother and the developing womb.

Third trimester

By this time, running would already be a tedious task. The body is adjusting to create space at the bulk in the middle while at the same time prepping itself for labor and actual childbirth. If the mother-to-be insists, she could do back of the pack light running as long as the attending physician approves with the setup.

Labor and childbirth

There would not be any running involved here. However, preparation for the arduous undertaking of child delivery entails the same amount of mental preparation and mind setting when getting ready for a race. As a bonus, all that hard work from running helps in the birth process with a more developed set of tummy muscles.

Post-delivery

Running after birth is not as easy as going back to hard training from an injury. A considerable amount of adjustment is needed. For one, the now-parent has her attention divided between personal time and care for the newborn. Be consoled with the fact though that most do well or do better in races after giving birth.